Page 35 of Falling for my Family's Rival

“Okay,” Chiara says again. “But… eloping?”

“Yes,” I say. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Have you thought about how much it will hurt Mom and Dad not to be at your wedding?” Chiara asks. “If you think the rift is bad between our families now, what will it be like after you elope?”

I hadn’t thought of that exactly. Sinking back into the couch, I frown at her, but I can’t think of anything to say in response. Luca squeezes my hand again. I squeeze back and hang on as if for dear life.

“I hate to say that I agree with Chiara, but I kind of do,” Angelo says. “I mean, have you thought about the long term consequences of eloping?”

“What are you going on about?” Luca asks.

“I think Chiara is right about the rift getting worse. Eloping might solve your problem now, but you really might regret your actions in the future,” Angelo says.

Even though Luca’s brother doesn’t have the best track record for being grounded in reality, what he says does actually seem to make sense. I cast a sideways glance at Luca, and I wonder if he’s having second thoughts about our plan. Am I? I can’t tell. What both Chiara and Angelo are saying has merit, but I still feel deep down that we’ll be better off if we elope. I think.

“I understand where you’re both coming from,” Luca says slowly. “But quite frankly, we didn’t invite you here to give us advice. We hoped that you would be happy for us and support us. We wanted to tell someone in each of our families, and we chose the two of you. We know that our parents will miss out on an important day for us, but that’s something that they will have to grapple with.”

“Yes,” I chime in. “It’s heartbreaking that they won’t be there, but the reality is that we want to get married, and we have every right to do so. It doesn’t mean that we love our families any less, but that we love each other more. And we don’t want this stupid feud to ruin things for us!” I can feel my heart pounding inside my chest.

‘We still hope that you can support us,” Luca says.

Chiara and Angelo exchange glances. I feel the knot in my stomach tighten. There was always going to be a risk involved, telling our respective siblings about our relationship. Either one of them could spill the beans before we are ready to, and there would be nothing that we could do about that. Even acknowledging that fact makes me feel bad. It also makes me realize that our decision is more important to me than ever.

“I do support you,” Chiara says at last. “I’m sorry if that came off as harsh. Congratulations, of course.”

“Well, I support you, too,” Angelo says. He seems to have some sort of weird rivalry with my sister, even though it can’t be very real. They’ve only met once.

“Thanks,” I say. “We both appreciate that.”

“We do,” Luca agrees. “In fact, there is something else that we want to talk to you both about.”

“What’s that?” Angelo asks. He seems suspicious. I think I need to get to know my future brother-in-law better, so I can read his emotions. Right now, I think that I’m just seeing a reflection of the anxiety that I feel inside.

“We’d like the two of you to stand up and be witnesses for our ceremony,” Luca says.

Again, Chiara and Angelo look at each other. “I don’t know,” Chiara says. “That seems like it crosses a line.”

Tears flood my eyes. “We just want to have some family there with us,” I say. “But I understand if you don’t feel like you can do it.”

“No, no,” Chiara says quickly. “I’ll be there. Of course, I’ll be there. I don’t even know what I’m saying. Don’t cry! This is a happy thing! You can count on me, Sis!”

“I’ll be there, too,” Angelo says.

“Thank you,” Luca says, putting his arm around me and drawing me close. I feel safer in the circle of his arms.

My sister and Angelo both still look vaguely uncomfortable, and a silence falls over all of us again. This time, though, I don’t rush to break the silence. I’m happy with the outcome of this little meeting. Even if they aren’t fully on board, they’re supporting us, and for now, that’s all I need.

Twenty-One

LUCA

It’s a busy night. So busy, in fact, that I’m in the kitchen on Sous Chef duty. I’m never in the kitchen. Even though everyone around me is rushing back and forth, it’s all I can do to keep my mind on the task in front of me. Honestly, I can barely do that.

I should love this. Cooking used to be a place where I could lose myself and bring out my creativity. And when I’m alone at home, or cooking for Marissa, I can still feel that joy. With everything that has been happening between Venetian Dreams and Little Italy, though, I don’t know how much longer I can do this.

Ultimately, I would love to open a Greek restaurant and cook all the dishes that my grandmother taught me to make growing up. The reality is that, if I want to make that dream something tangible, then I’m going to need to talk to my father.

When it’s time for my break, I decide that I’m going to talk to Dad. He’s in his office doing paperwork, as usual. At least he’s not on the phone. If I’m going to do this, I need his undivided attention, at least for a few minutes. I knock on the door to get his attention.

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